Frozen Tears
by The-Artist-64
Summary: About a thousand years before Adventure Time, the world was normal and raging through the Cold War. A human antiquarian named Simon Petrikov was looking forward to his marriage to his fiance, days after Christmas. As the war escalates and Simon falls under the spell of a magical crown, Petrikov records his drift into insanity.
1. Chapter 1

Simon was on his way home from Scandinavia. He had bought a beautiful ruby necklace, which he was going to study. Up in the northeast of Scandinavia, Simon was enjoying his last few days in the country down at the pier. He noticed that a small ship had a sign on it that said 'bargains! antiques!' Simon went to check it out.

"What do you have?"

"Well, I have a crown. Ten bucks."

"What a beautiful crown! I'll take it."

"Alright, though I gotta warn ya' kid, legends say people have gone nuts wearing the thing."

But Simon didn't care, because he thought he just got the bargain of bargains.

* * *

Simon tried to sneak into his fiance Betty's room, but she saw him anyway.

"Simon, you're home!" She ran up and hugged him.

"Yep! And do I have a surprise for you!"

Simon opened up his suitcase and pulled out a beautiful gleaming crown with shining rubies on it.

"Simon, it's so beautiful! How were you ever able to afford it?"

"Why, it was at bargain price! I might just have to wear this to our wedding!" His fiance giggled.

Simon put the crown on and said "Now you're really my princess." while he stared into Betty's eyes.

They hugged each other. Suddenly, Simon's eyes turned completely white.

"Simon?" Betty whimpered.

* * *

"Where am I?"

"You're in my mind, Simon."

"Who said that?!"

"I am the king of the ice and snow. I have a new host, you."

"What do you mean?"

The king chuckled. "You are going to die."

"What?"

"You are going to die. Now that I have a body, I can start to destroy humanity."

"I won't let you!"

"Really Simon? Watch this."

Simon saw his Betty running towards him, screaming.

"Betty!" Petrikov shouted. She was caught in an explosion. A gigantic mushroom cloud blown into the sky as he heard the screaming of millions, but her voice stood out the most to him.

* * *

With his last bit of energy, Simon tore the crown off his head.

"Betty?"

Betty was just standing there, looking at him in a mix of fear, sadness and regret.

"Betty, did I do this to you?"

Betty had a slash right through her stomach. She just stood there, mortified.

"Get out! Get out of my house!" screamed his fiance.

"Betty…"

"Go before I call the police!"

Simon ran out of the house, tears running down his eyes.

* * *

That night, Simon was just staring at a safe. The safe contained Simon's crown, locked away in it so that he couldn't ever touch the crown seemed to beckon to him, persuade him to let the cursed thing out, but Simon knew better. That night in his tiny apartment room, he dreamed of the crown and the war and Betty. He decided to start a series a tapes that morning.

"Hello. My name is Simon Petrikov. I am recording this tape so that people will know my story. I was studying to be an antiquarian of ancient artifacts. Now, I never believed in the supernatural stuff myself—just had a fascination with superstitions... but everything changed when I came into contact with this item..."

Simon pulled the crown out of the locked safe.

"After purchasing this crown from an old dock worker in northern Scandinavia, I brought it home and excitedly showed my fiance Betty, and jokingly put it on my head just for a laugh or something... and that's when it started... The visions... I fought with them... Shouted at them until I realized it wasn't real—it was the crown! I quickly took it off... and saw my fiance in front of me…looking at me with such contempt. What had I said? What had I done when I wore this crown? All I know is I never saw Betty again."

* * *

The next day, his skin started to change, as well as his hair. The war was getting intense. He started his next tape.

"Since then, I see the visions always whether or not I wear the crown. They tell me the secrets... the secrets of the ice and snow... that the power of the crown will save me with its frost. I don't yet know what this means. As you can see, my skin is beginning to turn blue. My body temperature has been lowering at a supernatural rate, to what is now about 30° C. I don't know when it will end... I'm really scared..."

* * *

On the third day, he kept the crown on his head all the time. America had dropped the first nuclear bomb on Russia, and Simon began to consider suicide.

"I know my mind is changing... but I'm already too far gone to know what to do. I want people to know that... if I do things... if I do things that hurt anyone, please... please forgive me."

* * *

Five days later, Russia had bombed San Francisco. Simon was worried, for threats foretold of his hometown, New York City, being next in line. Simon had murdered his neighbor because the crown seemed to…control him. He started running far away from the city. His last recording was brief and short.

"Just watch over me until I can find a way out of this labyrinth in my brain and regain my sanity! And then maybe Betty, my princess... maybe you will love me again. Please love me again, Betty!"


	2. Chapter 2

In a final attempt to survive, the U.S sent a 'super bomb' to Russia. The bomb was tied with energy from other dimensions, such as dark matter. The bomb had terrible effects. On January 1st, 1990, 1:00 PM, everyone on the planet woke up to a loud explosion. Others could see it from thousands of miles away. Russia was literally blown off the Earth. Devastating effects were in for all of mankind. The continents moved hundreds of miles within months. Humanity died due to leakage of the Earth's core, radiation poisoning or harsh weather changes.

* * *

Simon grunted as stood up.

"What? Did I get caught in a nuclear explosion?"

He dusted himself off.

"I'm alive…how?" He scratched his beard.

"The crown!" the young man shouted, amazed at the durability the crown gave him.

He walked to a horribly beaten up semi-truck and picked up the truckers radio.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" static sounded, and a horrible realization came to Simon's mind.

"Everyone is dead."

* * *

"Alright, according to this map I appear to be in Pennsylvania."

Suddenly, he heard a little girl crying. He dropped his backpack and walked up to the girl. He felt really sorry for her, so he picked up stuffed animal from a broken down toy shop and handed it to the child to sooth her and stop the crying.

"Now, what's your name?"

"Marceline."

"What a beautiful name. I am Simon."

"Why is your skin blue?"

"Why is your skin gray?"

They both chuckled.

"Where's your mother Marceline?"

"She and daddy don't really like each other."

"Oh. Well how have you been alive? How have you eaten?"

"I didn't eat. Being a demon, I am strong and fierce."

"A demon?" Simon replied, looking mortified.

"I know, you probably don't want me around."

"Well, that doesn't matter. I was always told by my mother that you should always help someone, no matter who they are." Replied Simon.

"She must have been nice."

"Yeah."

The two paused.

"Hey Marceline, I have an idea. How about you come with me."

"Wow, really!"

"Yeah, c'mon. Adventure awaits us!"

* * *

"Hambo is bored."

"Oh. Is that what you named your doll?"

"Yeah."

"Well, there's a music store. I know how to play the drums and guitar."

"Can you teach me how to play guitar?"

"Sure. Let's jam!"

Simon pulled out a keyboard, and Marceline pulled out a guitar. They were terrible and laughed it off.

* * *

"You look like a prince."

"What?"

"You look like a prince with that crown."

"Marceline, I need to tell you something about this crown."

"Did a king wear it?"

"No. This crown possesses unimaginable evil. Marceline, promise me, that if I ever wear this, you will run far away."

"Why?"

"Just, run, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

"Mr. Simon?"

"Yes Marcy?"

"Why have we been walking all this time?"

"Well, we're looking for my princess."

Marceline stopped walking and stood there.

"I thought I was your princess?"

"Marceline, it doesn't work that way. A man marries a woman. Not a kid. You are still important to me. But not in that way."

"Oh. Well, than what was the princess's name?"

"I…don't know."

Simon frowned, ashamed of himself to forget his love's name.

* * *

Marceline was sleeping in the tent they had set up, while Simon was awake, looking at the crown.

"It isn't long now is it?"

Suddenly, the girl woke up.

"Mr. Simon, why are you talking to yourself?"

"You wouldn't understand. Just go back to sleep. I'll keep watch."

* * *

"Mr. Simon, I'm hungry."

"Hmmmmm…a supermarket! Would you like an apple?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, I'll go get one."

Simon walked into the building, and saw a cracked mirror. He looked at himself and noticed his crown.

"Put on the crown Simon."

"No! Not again!"

"DO IT."

Simon unwillingly put on the crown. Marceline was behind him.

"Mr. Simon?"

"Marceline! Remember what I told you! Run away!"

"No! I'm staying here!"

"Go before it's too late!"

Simon started screaming.

"Mr. Simon?"

Simon stopped shouting.

"I am not Simon! I am the Ice King!"

He started zapping ice bolts at Marceline while she ran and hid behind an old truck.

"You can't hide forever you little brat!"

The little demon ran up to him and kicked the crown off his head.

* * *

"Marceline, did I do this?"

Simon looked at the girl's cut as she stared at him.

"I'm not going to make the same mistake. Marceline, I'm too dangerous to be around. I'm becoming evil, and you need to run far, far away with Hambo."

"No! I'm not leaving your side!" the girl screamed as tears ran down her eyes.

"GO! CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT I'M DANGEROUS!" shouted Simon. She finally ran away crying as Simon whispered "I'm sorry."


	3. Chapter 3

"Water! I've hit the coast. I'll camp out here tonight."

Simon set up his tent, feeling lonely without the company of another person. The sun set, and Simon climbed into his tent.

"Simon…"

"Not you again!"

"Simon, stop lingering. Giving up would be easier than fighting." the crown spoke to him almost always these days, and a lot of what it said was insults.

"Simon, you are so stubborn. Give up!"

"No!"

"Simon, you have nobody. No one is left on the planet, it's not worth fighting!"

Simon thought for a moment. "Alright Ice King, you've won."

Tears ran down his long nose as the spirit in the crown took control of his body. His hair and beard grew very long and white, and Simon, or now the Ice King, cackled.

"You pathetic human! Now I rule!"

"I don't care. There was nothing to live for anyway."

"Time to make my kingdom!"

The Ice King froze all of what was left of California as he cackled and howled in triumph. Meanwhile, Simon was inside of the crown, watching, ashamed of his foolishness.

* * *

Over time, the Ice King got older, and became less of a threat. He got shorter and fatter, and weaker. Simon started to surface in the Ice King, in ways like Ice King loving music and capturing princesses.

"Not long now is it Ice King."

"Shut up Simon! I just need to find a way to be younger and gain back complete control of my body."

"But there is no way. There's no spell, we both know that."

Ice King thought for a moment.

"Well, humanity is completely dead, except for one. Finn. When I kill him, I will have completed my lifelong desire, and then kill us both!"

"No! You can't!"

"Oh, but I can Simon, and you can't do a thing about."

"I'll stop you or die trying Ice King."


End file.
